Open soil pipe

[PhilGP]

I am about to replace a toilet. Having removed the old one I found that the soil pipe is not actually connected to anything.
Having removed it I can see what looks like an open drain - it's difficult to see at the moment as we have no proper lighting.

I suspect the room was converted to a W/C and the drainage is very poor. I intend to remove the floor tiles and lift the floorboards.

If I do find open pipework, it may explain some bad smells we get in the W/C and other ground-floor rooms. I will try to post a photo ASAP.

In the meantime, is there anything I should look for or avoid?

 

[wiggikins]

Turds!

 

[gas4you]

I know very little about wc plumbing etc, but check all joists etc carefully for rot if they have been getting constantly wet from WC flushing

 

[PhilGP]

The soil pipe covered ...

View down the pipe ...

The grey pipe does not appear to be attached/secured to the brown pipe-work below.

I hope to lift the wooden floor tiles and boards this weekend.

 

[PhilGP]

I've found this text in one of the wickes leaflets ... "In older properties the pipe may discharge to an existing open hopper at first floor level."

This could be what I've got (at ground level) but I cant confirm until the floor boards are up.
Surely there shouldn't be any air gap between the bottom of the soil pipe and the hopper - it looks like a couple of inches here - is this the cause of the smell?

Is there anything I can fix to the top of the clay pipework that can provide a good seal for the plastic soil pipe? I have seen a few adaptors but cant see how they can be sealed.

 

[JohnD]

I've found this text in one of the wickes leaflets ... "In older properties the pipe may discharge to an existing open hopper at first floor level."

for a sink, yes - but not a WC!

 

[PhilGP]

I've just seen this thread No open soil pipe vents and now wonder what I need to do for venting after I seal the soil pipes ?
There is no soil stack as this is ground floor and the clay pipes run under ground.

 

[PhilGP]

Turds!

You couldn't have been more accurate ! .... lots of them!

Luckily the insurance company arranged a gulley sucker to get rid of them all.
Cause: A broken pipe 18" below the floor which must have been there for months before we bought the house.

Due to poor flushing of the toilet (and awful colour+style), we havent used it since moving in and waited for other building work to complete before replacing the suite. Removing the pan and some of the floor exposed the mess. We have been instructed to move out of the house for health reasons.
Hopefully a plumber will arrive today to cut back the broken clay pipe and fit new plastic pipework from the old pipe up to floor level.

 

[JohnD]

great!

got any more pics?

 

[PhilGP]

no more pics (yet).

The plumber arrived but refused to do any work until the area had been sanitised. The flies are very bad.

Back to my insurance company now. They are due to visit in a couple of days to assess the extent of the damage and appoint repairers.

 

[PhilGP]

The area has finally been cleared of poo, clay pipe and rubble.

I have marked the remaining bit of clay pipe on the right hand side.
Just waiting for the repair now.

 

[PhilGP]

after many weeks of delay due to the insurance, the repair has now been done.

Before:

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